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How the Human Brain Reads – In Any Language

UConn researchers find that what happens inside the human brain when reading is the same, no matter what the language or script. (Christa Tubach/UConn Image)

Researchers at the University of Connecticut and their colleagues have found that what happens inside the brain when reading is the same no matter what the structure of a person’s written language, and that it is influenced by the same mechanism the brain uses to develop speech.

Lead author Jay Rueckl, director of UConn’s Brain Imaging Research Center, says ‘reading is parasitic to speech’ – meaning that the brain’s activity while reading involves speech and print mechanisms rather than a simple response evoked by print alone.

By comparing fMRI scans of 84 participants in four countries with highly contrasting languages – Spanish, English, Hebrew, and Chinese – the authors found that brain regions in the left hemisphere, including Broca’s area (the region of the brain that influences the production of speech) and Wernicke’s area (the region that influences the understanding of speech), were active both for the comprehension of printed words and for the comprehension of speech.

This strikingly similar neural organization was present despite dramatic differences in writing systems, including whether written words are alphabetical (such as English, Hebrew, or Spanish) or logo-graphic (such as Chinese), and regardless of the sound structure or the look of written characters.

Rueckl, an associate professor of psychological sciences, says the findings show that regardless of how spoken forms and their meanings are represented in a given writing system, proficient reading entails the convergence of speech and written systems onto a common network of brain structures.

Intersect maps showing brain regions in the left and right hemispheres that are active for print only (cyan), speech only (green), or both print and speech (magenta). (Image courtesy of PNAS)

This means that written languages have evolved to provide readers with maximal cues about spoken words and their meaning, and that the brain is capable of organizing both the spoken and written aspects of a language in a symbiotic system that facilitates a person’s ability to read.

The findings support a body of work that says a phonetical approach to reading – emphasizing the relation between written words and the sounds of the spoken words they represent – is crucial for successful instruction and intervention.

Rueckl notes that reading is not something that people have naturally evolved to do. “To learn to read, you have to take a brain that is set up to do some specific kinds of things and do something else with it. The neural system that allows us to learn to read is highly influenced by what else the brain is doing at the same time.”

Rueckl and his colleagues at the Haskins Laboratories in New Haven are studying dyslexia – a common learning disability where the brain has trouble matching letters with their sounds and with recognizing the combinations that letters make on the written page. He explains that this fMRI study supports a long line of research showing that the condition is largely a phonological problem, because dyslexic children have problems coding the sounds of language.

“fMRI is pivotal for both basic and translational research,” he says. “For instance, the information we have gathered from this study will help us answer the question of, when you provide intervention and a child gets better at reading, does their brain system look like the typically developing system, or is it doing something else – compensating or developing a new strategy?

“This information will go a long way in helping us decide on the best course of action for helping these children become proficient readers.”

Join us for a talk by Gina Barreca,2018 UCONN BOARD OF TRUSTEESDISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH

All great works of fiction, poetry and dramaâas well as texts forming mythologies, religions, national epics to heroic sagasâhave loneliness at the heart of their narrative. From Persephone to Peter Pan, from âFrankensteinâ to âFrozen,â the stories we pass along are saturated with unwilling isolation.âOnly around half of Americans say they have meaningful, daily face-to-face social interactions,â according to a 2017 study. A former U.S. Surgeon General argues that âWe live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization, yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s.â We need more than social media. We need social contact. We need community. How can we break through the loneliness barrier? Being alone when in need of companionship is more than sad; itâs an epidemic.Chronic loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. We need to change our national story and, often, our personal ones as well.Even the concept of the âlone wolfâ is a myth. Wolves hunt in packs.

Reception to follow.

For more information about this event, or if you are an individual who requires special accommodation to participate, please contact the CLAS Deanâs Office at (860) 486-2713.

A liberal arts and sciences degree prepares students with the tools they need to excel across a wide range of careers. Given the number of options available to you, it can be overwhelming to narrow down career choices. Attending CLAS Career Night will provide you exposure to career opportunities for CLAS students.

This semesterâs focus will be on research-based careers. During this event you will engage with CLAS alumni, learn about various occupations, and gain insight about how to best prepare for your future career.

The McNair Scholars Program and the Office of Undergraduate Research invite you to join us for a brown bag research seminar.

Birds, Bacteria, and Bioinformatics: Why Evolutionary Biology is the Best

Sarah Hird, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Molecular and Cell Biology

This series is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, and is designed especially for students conducting (or interested in conducting) STEM research. These seminars are opportunities to learn about research being pursued around campus, to talk with faculty about their path into research, and to ask questions about getting involved in research.

About CLAS

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the academic core of learning and research at UConn. We are committed to the full spectrum of academics across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. We give students a liberal arts and sciences education that empowers them with broad knowledge, transferable skills, and an ability to think critically about important issues across a variety of disciplines.